Our Greatest Creation
by bayoublackjack
Summary: Martha Jones been to the moon, battled aliens, inspired Shakespeare and saved the whole world. All of that was a walk in the park compared to being the wife of Tony Stark. With the world not in need of saving, Martha and Tony are able to focus on the hardest mission either of them have ever undertaken…parenthood. (Sequel to The Christmas Wish) A birthday fic for Angie.
1. Our Greatest Creation

**A/N: This story is a sequel/companion piece to my other story, The Christmas Wish. Chapter one of this story runs parallel to that one and shares some of the same dialogue, but this one is told from Martha's POV as opposed to Tony's. Chapter two picks up after the other fic ends.**

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Martha Jones had played a lot of roles in her life. Daughter. Sister. Doctor. Companion. For the past few months she had adapted to another role. Wife.

It all began when the Asgardian known as Thor battled dark elves in Greenwich. UNIT was deployed to tend to the aftermath but they weren't the only ones. Thor was an Avenger and wherever the Avengers went S.H.I.E.L.D. was soon to follow.

Martha had crossed paths with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents a few times following the Battle of New York, but before Greenwich she had never met an actual Avenger. As fate would have it, it wasn't the God of Thunder whose acquaintance she made in London. Instead, it was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s newest scientific consultant, Tony Stark.

"You know you're not supposed to be down here, yea?" Martha asked when she found Tony lurking in the tunnels beneath the Tower of London. Clearly, the allure of the Black Archives had proven to be too much for him to resist.

"Wherever _here_ is," Tony replied, looking slightly confused. If Martha were to hazard a guess, he had actually managed to find a way inside only to fall prey to the archives' memory altering security protocol. "What's the place again?"

Martha folded her arms across her chest. "It's restricted."

Tony met her eyes. "That doesn't really help."

"I'm not here to help. Just to collect you," Martha shot back.

"So you know who I am?"

Martha nodded her confirmation. "Yes. You're a trespasser. Admittedly a high profile trespasser, but a trespasser nonetheless."

Tony smirked at her retort. "I usually answer to Tony. Mr. Stark, if you're feeling formal."

"Martha," she replied, extending a hand to him. "Dr. Jones, if you're feeling feverish."

Tony didn't even bother to be subtle about checking her out as they shook hands. "Dr. Jones it is then."

Martha didn't really see herself as having a specific type. But if she were to have one, she was almost certain that Tony Stark wouldn't be it. And yet, somehow, she allowed herself to be drawn in by the charming futurist. Over time, Martha slowly began to realize that his Iron Man suit wasn't the only bit of armor that Tony donned on a regular basis. Once she was able to strip away the bravado, the man behind the mask emerged as a kindred spirit.

Martha was sure that she would carry the scars of the Year that Never Was with her until the day she died. It was without a doubt the worst time of her life and not many people could understand the effects that sort of trauma could have on a person. Her mum and dad understood and her sister Tish and best mate Jack did as well. They had all endured that horrific year aboard the Valiant as the Master's slaves. Luckily, her baby brother Leo and his wife and daughter were spared a similar fate. Martha was thankful for that. She was also thankful that her family and Jack had one another to rely on for support during their ordeal.

The isolation was probably the worst part of that year for Martha. That and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness whenever she failed to save those around her. In her darkest moments, Martha wished it would have been her instead. If her own death could have spared even one life, then she would have welcomed it with open arms.

Before she met Tony, Martha had never told anyone that about herself. Not even her therapist. More than just sympathy, he could empathize because he had experienced the same emotions in his own life. The days following the tragedy in Sokovia were some of the worst.

At that point, the two of them had been dating for a year and a half and living together for about six months. Martha recognized the unique form of tension when she saw it because she had lived with it before herself. The only difference between them was that Tony's sorrow was colored by the guilt of his own pride and complacency.

"Do you know what the worst of it is?" Tony asked her when she found him sitting alone in his workshop in the middle of the night with a half empty bottle of scotch. "I created this mess. Me. And not because of Ultron. No, long before that…those kids…the twins…Wanda and Pietro… My weapons killed their parents. And they hated me so much… _so_ much that they let Strucker and his gang do who knows what to them just so they could take me down." He stared into his glass and laughed mirthlessly. "Maybe everyone would have been better off if they would have succeeded."

"I wouldn't have been better off," Martha said as she took the glass away from him and clutched his hands between both of hers. "Not without you."

"You would have been safer, which is naturally better because bad things happen to the people around me," he replied.

Martha scoffed softly. "Bad things happen to _everyone_."

"You deserve better than that."

"What I deserve is not to have to listen to you wallowing in your own self-pity," Martha countered. "You messed up quite spectacularly," she admitted. "I'm not going to deny that. But your mistakes don't make you a bad person, love. Alright? For starters, you actually feel remorse and trust me when I say the real bad ones don't feel a stitch of it." She gave his hand a quick squeeze. "So instead of focusing on the bits that are beyond your control, why don't you think about what it is that you _can_ fix, yea?" Tony stared at her wordlessly for a long time after she finished talking and, as usual, she wondered what was going on in that head of his. "Say something."

"Marry me," he requested suddenly.

Martha stared at him in disbelief. "What? You me to…to _marry_ you?"

"Yes." Tony nodded. "Marry me. Now. Well today," he amended upon looking towards a window and realizing the sun hadn't even risen yet.

"Are you bloody serious?"

"More serious than I've ever been," Tony insisted. "I love you and for whatever reason you love me back. I can't promise you perfection. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that I will screw up continuously and probably on a grand scale. But what I can do is promise that I won't ever stop trying to be the man that you think I am. So I'm asking you take a gamble and bet on me…no…bet on _us_. What do you say?"

"I say…" Martha faltered. She was feeling overwhelmed by the abruptness of his proposal, but her love for Tony was never up for debate. "Yes."

The wedding itself was simple. There was certainly none of the pageantry one would expect to signify the grand end of Tony Stark's bachelorhood. It wasn't exactly what Martha would have pictured for her big day either, but she didn't regret marrying Tony on the spot.

Rhodey naturally served as Tony's best man, but Martha didn't have anyone to stand up for her. Her family was a huge part of her life, but Tony didn't have any family of his own left so Martha sometimes thought that made it hard for him to see things from her perspective. But occasionally, Tony managed to surprise her by proving just how perceptive he could be. For example, when decided that they should move to London immediately after getting married to be closer to her family while the Tower underwent restorations.

Martha was anxious to call her mum and let her know about their sudden nuptials, but Tony insisted that they let their arrival in London be a surprise and focus on jumpstarting their honeymoon during their flight instead. Unfortunately, their wedding was front page news by the time they landed and Martha's mum was understandably cross.

"First, the Doctor and now him?" Francine Jones asked with an exasperated sigh. "I swear it's a bloody habit with you." She shook her head and regarded her new son in law distastefully before returning her gaze to Martha. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"Not pregnant, mum," Martha told her. "Just in love."

"Love she says," Francine huffed. Her eyes flashed back to Tony. "And what do you have to say for yourself? Hmm?" Her tone was accusatory and Martha couldn't help feeling as though Tony was on trial. It wasn't unexpected. That was just her mum's personality. She imagined that Francine would treat her children's suitors as if they were guilty until proven innocent even if she wasn't a lawyer.

Tony glanced at Martha and she gave his hand a supportive squeeze. "Honestly? I think your daughter is too good for me."

"I'd say," Francine quickly agreed.

Martha sighed quietly. "Mum, please," she pleaded weekly.

"Well go on then," Francine retorted, gesturing for Tony to continue. Martha had forewarned him about her mother, so he knew better than to employ his usual charm tactics. Or at least she hoped he wouldn't.

Tony turned his full attention to Francine. "I've never really been a person who's put much stock in faith. I don't know if it's because of the way I was raised or maybe it's just the scientist in me, but I've always relied on facts. Things I could see and touch. Things I could control. Or _try_ to control. And then I met your daughter, who by all accounts should be the most cynical person in the world. And yet…" His eyes locked on Martha's. "This beautiful, smart, funny, kind woman is one of the most optimistic people I've ever met. She has so much faith in the world and so much faith in me. More than I've ever had in myself and definitely more than I deserve. But she just has the light about her that makes you want to be near her. It makes you want to be the person she thinks you are." He shook his head and faced Francine once more. "I don't know if I can ever really be that guy, but damn it if I won't die trying to be."

Francine pursed her lips in response. She looked back and forth between the two of them before finally relaxing her posture. "Tish said he was a smooth talker."

It wasn't perfect, but was a start. Over the next few months, she found herself being a go between of sorts between her mum and husband. Not always successfully.

In the aftermath of the battle against Ultron in Sokovia, there was a push for more accountability from the Avengers. No formal charges had been made, but, in light of the recent events, the United Nations was looking into other avenues to counteract the growing impact of the Avengers on global affairs. The decision was a derisive one.

Some people felt as though the Avengers were heroes and were acting in everyone's best interest. But a very vocal minority, felt as though they were overstepping their boundaries and endangering the public. They also felt that with people like Tony funding their efforts, the Avengers would never be held to any real standard of justice. Some local tabloids went as far as to imply that having a lawyer as a mother in law was to Tony's benefit. Even Martha's connection to the United Nations through UNIT had been suggested to have lessened his punishment. Francine hadn't outright blamed Tony for the smear campaign against her and her daughter, but the already cold reception he usually got from her seemed to be even icier as a result.

"It's official. You mom hates me," Tony said as he curled up in bed with Martha after a tense dinner at her mother's place.

"She doesn't hate you," Martha replied.

"Well she definitely doesn't love me."

Martha sighed softly as she lay back against her pillow. "She's not very keen at the moment, but I promise she'll come around."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"It'll happen," Martha insisted. "She'll realize how happy you make me and she'll grow to love you just like the rest of my family and I do."

"The rest of your family loves me?" Tony questioned.

"Don't sound so bloody shocked. Leo thinks you're practically best mates."

"He's no Rhodey, but he is kinda like the kid brother I never wanted," he joked.

"Not to mention Tish has gotten more PR work off of you," Martha added.

Tony frowned. "And charged me double her usual rate."

"Well you're probably twice the trouble of her usual clientele."

"Touché."

"Plus, Keisha adores you!" Martha added with a bright smile.

"Yea…" Tony smiled at the mention of Martha's niece. "She's a good kid. And _so_ smart. Do you know she asked me if we could build another arc reactor?"

Martha laughed softly. "And what did you say?"

"I told her to ask her grandmother."

"And let my mum be the bad guy?" she teased while shaking her head. "Not the best way to win her over, love."

Tony curled himself around Martha. She snuggled into his embrace and closed her eyes. "I want one," he told her after a prolonged silence.

Martha opened her eyes and lifted her head off her pillow. "Want one of what?"

"A kid."

Martha shook her head, certain that she had misheard him. "What?"

"A kid." He shrugged casually. "I think we need one."

Martha pulled away from him and sat up in bed. "You think we _need_ a child?"

"Yea, I need an heir. I'm not going to live forever. Someone needs to carry on the Stark legacy." Tony sat up as well. "Think about it. My brains and your looks? Our kid would rule the world. More to the point, I love kids and, despite my best efforts to smuggle her away from them, Leo and Shonara keep insisting that I give Keisha back. Therefore, we need a kid of our own."

Martha huffed in response to his cavalier attitude about a rather serious subject. "You do realize that a child isn't a puppy, yea? It's not like we can just pick up a baby from the shops on the way home one night."

"I think you're underestimating just how much you can buy with the type of money I have."

"Yea? Well I didn't marry you for your billions, playboy," Martha retorted playfully as she poked him in the chest. "Besides…" She flattened her hand against his skin and stroked the spot where his arc reactor used to be. "I reckoned you'd be keen to make a baby the old fashioned way."

Tony wrapped his arms around Martha, pulling her closer and kissing her deeply. "I'm keen," he assured her between kisses. "Very keen. The keenest."

Martha returned his kisses fervently. Physically, she was definitely on the same page as him, but her mind was still reeling. So before things could go any further, she pulled back and placed her hands on his shoulders to keep them separated long enough for her to pose the question that was plaguing her. "Do you really want to have a baby?" she asked seriously.

Tony looked Martha in the eyes and nodded slowly. "Any child I had with you would be the best thing I've ever created."

Martha returned his gaze in silence. She could see the sincerity behind his eyes. He knew how important her family was to Martha and that was why he tried so hard to win her mum over. But in that moment, she realized that it was about more than just appeasing her. He wanted to build the family that he didn't have before with her. And Martha wanted it as well.

It was a few weeks before Christmas when Martha's life was posed to change once more. By then, she and Tony had left London to return to New York and the fully restored Tower. But despite their best efforts, there was no immediate need for a nursey. All of the pregnancy tests Martha had taken until that point turned up negative. So she was understandably shocked when a routine visit with her physician revealed that it wasn't a virus that had been making her feel ill.

Martha was feeling out of sorts when she got home from her appointment. As a doctor, she knew that there wouldn't be any visible changes in her physical appearance just yet, but she caught herself lifting her shirt and inspecting her belly in the mirror more than once. Even with the ultrasound image, she was still struggling to believe that she and Tony were going to be parents soon.

Now she just had to figure out how to tell her husband.

On Christmas Eve, they were due to be at a Maria Stark Foundation sponsored toy drive at a local orphanage. Tony had seemed to be a bit on edge for the last few days prior to the event, but once the evening rolled around he was able to relax into a more philanthropic role. Tony had always been up front about his love kids and spending time with the children at the orphanage only seemed to increase his desire for them to be parents.

When they returned to the Tower, Tony had surprised her once again by flying the entire Jones clan to Manhattan for the holidays. In that moment, Martha decided she should return the favor with a surprise of her own.

"I've got some others we can open with the family tomorrow, but this one I wanted you to open in private," Martha announced as she delivered a flat package to Tony while they prepared for bed later that night.

Tony smirked as he began to unwrap his gift. "Private, eh? Is this one of those boudoir photographs?"

Martha rolled her eyes playfully. "You bloody wish."

"I really do."

"It's not a sexy photograph," she replied. "Think of it sort of as a blueprint of your greatest creation."

"Hmm?" He muttered absentmindedly as he finally freed the frame from its wrapping. When he flipped it over, he saw that there was a printout of a sonogram displayed behind the glass. Tony's breath hitched and his eyes flashed up to meet Martha's. "How is this possible?"

Martha couldn't help laughing. "Well you were there!" she teased. "I shouldn't have to explain how that bit works. You've always seemed to be very familiar with the mechanics and very thorough, might I add."

Tony flicked his hand dismissively. The man of a thousand quips was completely serious at the moment. "No, I mean you took a test."

"I know. It's was a false negative. They're actually more common than false positives." She shrugged. "Anyway, do you remember when I was ill a fortnight ago? Well I went to see my physician and when they checked my blood, there was no denying it then. I rang up my gynecologist to schedule an appointment. She told me I was already two months into the first trimester. So we did the sonogram right then and there. I've been absolutely bursting to tell you and racking my brain to think of the best way to do it. I figured it'd make for a nice surprise. So…surprise!"

"So we're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby," Martha confirmed with a nod.

"And by next Christmas we'll have a little Antonia or Tony Jr. running around?"

"By then, little Martin or Martha Jr. will only be about two months old in which case we'd be lucky if they can even hold their head up on their own let alone attempt feats of advanced motility."

Tony scoffed. "Maybe for average children, but this kid has Stark genes. I built my first circuit board at four," he reminded her.

"And I was already sure I wanted to be a doctor at that age."

"Fine. We'll compromise. Biomedical engineering," he offered as a suggestion. "I can see it now an entire division devoted to bionics and surgical implants. Junior could usher in a whole new generation of Stark Industries."

"Or…" Martha cut in. "We can let our child be born first and then let them decide the path they want to take."

Tony set the frame aside and pulled Martha onto his lap. Martha wrapped her arms around his neck and he gave her belly a gentle caress. They spent the rest of the evening talking about the future and they didn't even realize it when the sun came up.

Martha knew that she needed the rest now more than ever, but she was too anxious to tell her family the big news. She and Tony shared a quick shower during which Tony kept caressing her presently nonexistent baby bump. Once they were dried off and clothed, the two of them went out to greet her family for breakfast and an important announcement.


	2. Three is a Magic Number

Ever since Martha had been a little girl, her family had a tradition of eating breakfast together on Christmas morning. Her mom always cooked and everyone would open their presents afterwards. This year was no different. Francine made herself at home in the Tower's kitchen and whipped up her usual full English breakfast. When the time came for presents, Martha insisted that Tony wait until all the other gifts had been unwrapped before showing off the one she had given him.

Clive stared down in shock at the frame Tony passed to him. "You're having a baby?" her dad questioned.

"I'm pregnant," Martha confirmed while nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

Shonara gasped and swatted Leo's arm. "See? I told you I've been dreaming about fish!"

Leo ignored his wife's allegedly prophetic dreams and moved to pull his big sister into a tight hug. "Congrats Marty! And you too, bro," he added with a pat on Tony's back as he released Martha. Shonara followed behind him, extending her best wishes to the parents-to-be.

Tish was the next one to descend upon Martha. "Getting a baby off a billionaire? Properly set for life, aren't you?" she joked close to Martha's ear as they hugged. "You're kind of my hero."

Martha scoffed playfully. "Sad thing is I know you're joking, but I still think a small part of you wouldn't ignore the opportunity if it presented itself to you."

"He's not gonna introduce me to Prince T'Challa, is he?"

"Not a chance," Martha confirmed as she eased her sister off with a smile.

"Figures." Tish sighed dramatically. "At least I still have the interest of a certain Air Force colonel."

"Rhodey?"

Tish nodded. "He's been chatting me up off and one since we first met and I figure since we're both in New York City for the holidays, I wouldn't mind ringing in the New Year with him." She glanced at Tony. "Do you think your husband would mind if…?"

"If you marry him?" Tony interrupted. "Good idea! I'll officiate the ceremony."

Martha laughed. "I think he approves."

Once the initial shock had worn off, Clive was the next to offer up his congratulations. Martha couldn't help noticing that her mom had been quiet the entire time, but before she could say anything to her, someone else said their piece.

"If Auntie Marty and Uncle Tony are having a baby, does that mean I won't be his special girl anymore?" Keisha asked sadly.

Tony dropped down to one knee and cupped her little face between his palms. "You will _always_ be my special girl. In fact, I'm gonna need you more than ever once the baby's born."

Keisha perked up at his words. "You will?"

"Someone's gonna need to help me teach this kid everything about science."

Keisha's eyes lit up. "I can do it!"

"You're hired," Tony replied while pressing a kiss to her temple. "I'll put you on the payroll as soon as the accounting department returns to work."

"You don't have to pay her," Shonara insisted. "She good at it and she likes doing it for fun."

"Even more reason to cut her a check," Tony countered. "Never give your skills away for free," he advised his niece. "Even for family."

"That's always been my motto," Tish agreed.

"Look at him," Clive whispered to Martha. "He's a natural."

Martha nodded. "Yea, he is." She glanced towards the spot where her mother had just been standing only to discover that Francine had stepped out onto the balcony. Martha quietly excused herself and followed her mother outside. "Mum?"

Francine sighed softly as she gazed out on Manhattan down below. "I always thought you'd be the first," she confessed. "You've always been the most mature. I figured you'd be the first one to give us grandchildren. Then, out of the blue, Leo comes home stone faced, still wearing his school uniform, and tells me that his girlfriend is pregnant." She shook her head. "I thought I'd have a few more years at least. Maybe you'd meet a nice bloke at university that you could settle down with after you finished your training. Hell, I was even prepared to hear it from Tish first. You know how she loves to flirt." She laughed to herself. "Ironically, she's the only one of you who stuck to her original plan."

"Some plans are meant to change," Martha replied meekly.

Francine turned to face her daughter. "This isn't the life I wanted for you."

"Mum…"

Francine held up a hand to silence her. "But…" She continued after a brief pause. "It's the life you've made for yourself. So I'm just going to have to accept that because I love you and I want you to be happy."

"I am happy, mum. So happy."

"Truly?"

Martha nodded. "I love him so much." She glanced through the window and saw Tony playing with Keisha. "More than I'll ever love anyone else."

"At least for now," Francine objected, placing a hand to Martha's stomach. "Once that little one arrives, all of that is going to change. Your children's happiness will always come first." Martha bit back a tearful smile and nodded quickly. "Dry your eyes, little girl. The hard part hasn't even begun yet." She wiped Martha's tears away with her thumbs and then kissed her temple. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go have a nice long chat with my son-in-law about his bad habits." She started for the door. "If he thinks I'm unbearable as a mum and mother-in-law, he better prepare himself for me as a grandmother."

By the time her family had left to return to England, Tony's relationship with her mum seemed to have improved drastically. "Take good care of our girl," Francine requested as she hugged Tony goodbye before joining the rest of the family aboard his jet.

"Always," he promised.

Tony clearly took his vow seriously because the next few months saw him taking an active role in every aspect of Martha's pregnancy. Early in her second trimester, the weird cravings began. Her go to snack was strawberry ice cream topped with sriracha and crushed sour cream and onion crisps. Tony looked on disapprovingly as she indulged in a dinnertime sundae.

"Should you be eating that?" he asked. He had developed the annoying habit of monitoring her intake in recently weeks.

"I can eat whatever I bloody well please," Martha shot back between bites. "I'm gestating life and that requires an increase in calories."

" _Empty_ calories."

"Which of us is the doctor?"

"Technically both of us."

Martha pursed her lips. "Of medicine?"

"That just tells me you should know better."

"I know exactly what I should or shouldn't eat," she said haughtily. "Just like I know you'd better put on your bloody armor before you even _think_ about trying to take this away from me," she said while protectively clutching her sundae.

"Alright." He held his hands up in defeat. "You win, but I'm making you a green smoothie chaser."

"Mmm, can you make it with pineapple?" she requested. "Oh! And a shot of pickle juice." Tony looked like he wanted to gag, but he obliged without further protest.

After a while, it wasn't just the cravings that were kicking in. Martha remembered quite vividly the first time she felt the baby move. Tony had insisted that they take a babymoon and enjoy their last moments of solitude before the baby came. He took her to Orlando to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter like he knew she had wanted to see for quite some while. Of course, Tony, being the magic disbeliever that he was, insisted that they go to Disney World as well, where he took great pleasure in exploring Innoventions and the other Future World attractions in Epcot.

After a few days of exploring the parks and sampling all the delicious food they had to offer, Tony and Martha spent the final day of their holiday holed up in their hotel room. She wasn't sure if it was the magic of the environment, her appreciation for his thoughtfulness, or just the excess of hormones, but Martha couldn't keep her hands off of him. Not that Tony minded.

They were tangled up in the sheets, making out and fooling around like a bunch of randy teenagers, when all of a sudden Martha felt a flutter inside of belly. "Oh my god!" She squealed. "I can feel it."

"That's kinda the point," Tony retorted as he placed a string of kisses along her skin.

"Not that," she said dismissively. "The baby. It kicked."

Tony halted his machinations. "What?"

"Here." Martha placed his hand over her baby bump. "Do you feel it?"

Tony shifted his hand around for a bit before shaking his head. "I don't feel it."

"Give it a moment," Martha told him while covering his hand with hers. They sat motionless in anticipation for a long while afterwards and just as they were both ready to give up, she felt it again. "There! Did you feel it?"

Tony stared at her in shock. "Yea…I feel it." He seemed genuinely awestruck, which was a bit of a rarity for him.

"Sorta makes it all feel more real, yea?" Martha asked with a bright smile. "It's gonna be three of us soon."

The sudden reality of the situation spurred them to action. Once they returned to New York, preparations for the baby's impending arrival took precedence. They chose a bedroom close to theirs for the nursery and Tony had plans to deck it out with all the latest technology so they could keep a watchful eye over their baby while catering to his or her every need. The only thing up for discussion was the overall theme, which brought to light an area of contention.

Martha wasn't sure if she wanted to know the sex of their baby ahead of time, but Tony was of the opposite opinion. "Shouldn't we at least know so we can decorate the nursery accordingly?" he asked.

"According to what?" Martha countered with arms folded across her chest. "Clichéd gender roles that imply that colors and interests are somehow contingent upon the presence or absence of a Y chromosome?" She scoffed. "It's a bloody baby. It doesn't care one fig about those sorts of things."

"Okay but could we at least figure out what _it_ is so we can stop calling _it_ 'it' and give _it_ a real name?"

Martha was still on the fence about the matter, but she agreed to sleep on it, in the figurative sense if not the literal. As her pregnancy progressed, sleep was getting harder and harder to come by. By month six, the baby had developed a routine of its very own that was disturbing any semblance of one Martha tried to establish.

Tony was hard at work in his workroom when Martha crept up behind him. "Still burning the midnight oil?" she asked softly as not to startle him.

"You know me," he answered, tearing his attention away from his work and turning his chair to face her. "How's my baby?"

"Restless," Martha told him with a quiet sigh while she caressed her baby bump.

"Sounds like junior is a night owl just like dear old dad," he joked with a groan as he stretched his limbs. "So how's my other baby?"

"Knackered. When the baby is up, so am I."

Tony stood up from his chair and stroked her belly. "How about a little music?"

"At this hour?" Martha complained with a tiny frown. Tony had taken to subjecting her to what he referred to as 'music lessons' in hopes that their baby would absorb his taste in music from inside the womb. "I thought the goal was to help us sleep not to wind the baby up."

"Can I help it if metal gets this kid's blood pumping?" he asked with a look of satisfaction on his face. "Besides I had something different in mind. C'mon."

Tony escorted Martha back to their room and tucked her into bed. Once she was comfortable, he settled in next to her and began talking to their unborn child.

"Hey there kid. This is your old man speaking. I thought we'd switch it up from your usual music lesson, alright? Your mom is having trouble sleeping because you've been keeping her up all hours of the night. That's usually my job though so what do you say we give her a little break, huh? Being married to me is like raising a child as it is. So I'm gonna need you to be the mature one here," he joked, causing Martha to chuckle quietly. "Your mom has some really questionable taste, alright? Clearly, she likes terrible men, she actually _enjoys_ disco, and you've tasted the stuff she eats. Don't even get me started on the Harry Potter obsession."

"Oi!" Martha protested loudly with a hard thwack to his back for emphasis.

"Also," he said in a whisper. "She's not above resorting to violence. Luckily for me, I'm not opposed to the odd spanking now and then."

"You're really begging for a slap," Martha warned playfully.

"But back to the subject at hand," Tony continued. "Normally, she's got the patience of a saint, but like I said, she's sleep deprived and cranky so she's suddenly impervious to my charm."

"Or maybe your dad isn't nearly as charming as he thinks," Martha countered.

"And the lack of sleep it's making her delusional too," Tony added. "So I thought I'd help you both sleep a little better by singing you a lullaby. Would you like that?" The baby fluttered answered by kicking, though Martha was sure it was more a response to the sound of Tony's voice rather than the words he was saying.

"I love it when you sing," she confessed.

"It's been ages," Tony said as he glanced up at her. "Any requests?"

She smiled at him warmly. "You know the one."

"I know the one," he replied with a quick wink at her. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., can you play our special song for me and my babies?"

"Right away sir," the AI responded.

The opening notes to Elton John's _Your Song_ played and Tony joined in when the singing began. Martha ran a hand through his hair and closed her eyes as she listened. It was the first song they ever danced to and every time she heard it, it transported her back to that magical moment.

Martha eventually conceded to learning the sex of the baby. Their family and friends had a pool going on the results with a boy being the favorite. However, in the end, the obstetrician revealed that baby Stark was, in fact, a girl. Once they knew that they were expecting a daughter, Martha and Tony were able to narrow down the naming options but they were still having some difficulty settling on the right one.

"I like Stella," Martha began as they sat down to breakfast. Tony had prepared egg white omelets with kale. Martha requested extra pepper jack cheese on hers.

Tony grimaced around a mouthful of coffee. "Stella sounds like an old woman," he said once he swallowed.

"God willing, she'll get to be an old woman one day."

"And she'll suffer with a name like Stella Stark in the meantime."

"It's Latin for star," Martha pointed out. She had always loved astronomy even before meeting the Doctor. "She could be my own little star to cherish forever."

"If that's the case, then I think Tesla should be added back to the list. Or at the very least Nikola," he insisted as he rose from his seat with his cup in hand.

"What about James?"

"Rhodey would be thrilled," Tony said. "But does it still work?"

"I, for one, think it's a cute name for a girl. We could call her Jamie for short."

"Jamie Stark," Tony thought aloud. "It has a certain ring to it."

The name discussion continued on until the last minute, but thankfully the nursery had been finished well in advance of Martha going into labor. Tony had insisted that she steer clear of it until it was complete and when it was done, he escorted her inside blindfolded.

When she opened her eyes, Martha was met with a chic modernist design in shades of pale gold and cream. It was wired up so that they could keep constant tabs of their little girl with the help of F.R.I.D.A.Y. But the thing that had impressed her the most was the way Tony had integrated a lighting scheme that resembled the constellations. Now their daughter could get lost in the stars whenever she wanted.

With the nursery set and all their preparations properly sorted, the only missing piece to the puzzle was their daughter. She came in the summer. Labor wasn't difficult, but it had taken just over twenty-four hours. When all was said and done, Martha was more exhausted than she could ever remember being. She could only imagine the state she must have been in following delivery. She was just thankful that Tish had convinced her to get her hair braided so that would be one thing less she'd have to worry about.

Still, regardless of how she viewed herself in that moment, Tony made sure that she knew just how he felt about her. "You are, without a doubt, the sexiest woman I've ever laid eyes on and I can't think of anything more beautiful than watching you bring own child into the world."

Martha let out a tired chuckle as she cradled their daughter against her chest. "Maria Estelle Stark." She took her daughter's tiny hand into hers as she gazed down at her lovingly. "Isn't she perfect?"

Tony huddled close to his two girls. "Ten fingers. Ten toes. Seven pounds and five ounces. Nineteen and a quarter inches. And she has her mother's eyes." He nodded. "She's definitely perfect."

Francine had moved into the Tower temporarily to aide in the transition for the first few weeks, but eventually her mum did have to return to the UK. At that point, Martha and Tony were faced with the daunting reality of raising their daughter alone.

Martha found that she could sleep practically anywhere whenever she got the chance. Child rearing was a bit like medical school in that regard. She had curled up in the glider next to Maria's crib and nodded off watching as her daughter drifted to sleep. She woke to the sound of Tony's voice as he serenaded their little girl with the song _Maria_ from _West Side Story_.

"Tony loves Maria," she quipped. "It's fitting."

"I love her so much it hurts," Tony said in barely a whisper. "And I'm just…" He exhaled sharply. "I'm afraid of screwing this up. Screwing her up." He shook his head. "I don't want to end up like my old man."

"We're bound to make mistakes, love," Martha replied. "But as long as we make sure that she's loved and protected…"

"Is she protected?" Tony cut in. "You know what's out there. Hydra. Ten Rings. Chitauri."

"The Master," Martha chimed in.

"Are we crazy to bring a kid into the world?"

Martha pushed herself up to her feet and walked over to her husband and daughter. "We can't let our fear keep us from being happy."

Tony met her eyes. "Are you as scared as I am?"

Martha nodded quickly. "Terrified."

Tony sighed dramatically. "Maybe we should have started with a dog."

Martha covered her mouth to keep from waking Maria up with her laughter. "A bit late for that now."

Tony gently lowered Maria into her crib and then turned to Martha. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Doesn't hurt to hear it again," she replied while pulling him into her arms.

Tony lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "I love you, Mrs. Stark."

"I love you too, Mr. Stark." She rose on her toes and gave him a tender kiss.

When they broke for air, Tony leaned his forehead against hers. "Is it too soon to try for a little brother for Maria?"

"Yes," Martha whispered emphatically as she took him by the hand and led him out of the nursery. "Besides, I think three is perfect. For now at least."

"Like the song says, 'three is a magic number.'"


End file.
